A stroll through Kichijoji park.

Let me tell you. Waking up at 6am for no apparent reason, is fucking brutal. Absolutely nothing is open, nobody else is awake, and you need a nap by 10am. Embracing our 6:15am wake up call, we manage to putz around the place for three entire hours before deciding that something has got to be open. It is just absolutely gorgeous outside on this particular day. Not having a smart phone, or any sort of weather checking capabilities besides licking my finger and holding it to the wind, it had to be around 70 degrees and sunny.

I've got my shorts on, a pair of sunglasses, and about 37 cameras in hand to document this fantastic day. The plan for the day had been to test our directional skills and make our way to Kichijoji Park for the day which was about a 30 minute walk, all in all. We finally made it out of the house around 9am and found a little bakery where absolutely nothing was in English. Inside were copious amounts of pastries and breakfast foods. We piled onto our basket any and everything that looked good, and somehow only managed to spend about 800 Yen.

It was a Sunday. The stroll to Kichijoji park was absolutely beautiful. We walked along side a river and admired all of the fruit trees and cherry blossoms along the way. If we peeked over the guard rail far enough, we could see some of the largest Koi Fish I have ever seen. The trip to Kichijoji park was breathtaking. Every couple of minutes or so, we stopped for photographs and exchanged smiles with the locals. At the end of the long stretch of river, we appeared at what looked like a weekend art fair surrounding a lake. You know, like the one you would find going on around Powderhorn Park on the weekend in the middle of July. There were tons of merchants selling goods (and not goods) along the perimeter of the lake including kitschy jewelry and knock off photographs.

When we reach the far end of the lake, there is a pretty pathetic looking zoo. Now, I'm not sure what kind of animals live inside of a Japanese zoo, but the sign to the entrance had a picture of a squirrel on it so we decided it wasn't worth further inquiry. We grabbed some chu-hi's, stuffed them in my purse, and purchased a 30 minute paddle boat ride in a boat that looked like a giant swan. Chu-hi's are an alcoholic beverages that are pretty much the equivalent to what I like to call, "soda booze." They come in a magnitude of flavors and are sold everywhere. It is also not frowned upon to drink booze while paddle boating.

Now, if you recall my previous toilet story you will be pleased to know that all toilets in Japan are fucked. They are either super high-tech, or look like what appears to be a urinal laying on the ground. After the swan boats, I had to pee super bad. I bust open the first stall to find this ceramic urine catching device built into the ground. I immediately rush out of the restroom and check the sign to make sure that I was in the correct one. The pink girl in the triangle dress assured me that I was, and I gave it another go. I locked myself inside and soon figured out that I was expected to squat over this thing and do my business. I had no idea where to start. Do I face forward, or backwards? Again, how do I flush? What if I pee on my boots? These are the questions racing through my head. The only other time I have squatted to urinate was in a dark alley on the way home from the bar, which I may or may not have peed on my boots in the process. But this was completely different! I pulled a long string that whisked away my "business" as I struggled to get out of the squatting position. This would definitely not go over well in America. Japan:1 America: 1

The next couple hours resulted in more wandering and train rides. A little bit of shopping, enjoying the weather, and a brief nap. We had been up since 6am, after all.

At 6pm we meet up with Mike's roommates Mallory and Ashley. Both of which have lived in Japan for several years. Since Mike had to work at The Pink Cow that night, we hooked up with them for dinner. We hitched a train to Shibuya and went to a restaurant Mallory likes to call, "cheesy bacon." One of their specialties being blocks of cheese wrapped in bacon. As a matter of a fact, lots of things seemed to be wrapped in bacon, there. The restaurant is a 50's style Japanese diner. We ended up eating fantastic food and having fantastic conversation.

Our next destination was The Pink Cow to meet up with Mike and drink until he was off work. And that was exactly what we did. Time seemed to fly by, and before I knew it we were passed out back at the house. Sunday kicked my ass. Hard.